The Connemara Conservancy will provide protection for 550 acres of the Rockin’ K Ranch in Corsicana thanks to a recently signed conservation easement.

The easement will protect a portion of a large family cattle ranch in perpetuity. The land within the easement will also serve as a mitigation bank, protecting the flood plain of the Chambers Creek, which has been determined to be impaired by the state environmental protection agency.

"This area has potential to serve as an environmental training venue for wetlands education, waterfowl habitat and water quality work on polluted streams,” said Ray J. Kane, whose family owns the Rockin’ K Ranch.

“We will be able to enhance water quality entering the water way by using restored tributaries and wetlands,” added Connemara Conservation Director R.J. Taylor.

The signing of the easement increases the amount of land protected by the Connemara Conservancy to more than 6,000 acres. The North Texas land trust has more than doubled the amount of land under its protection in the past five years.

“The explosive growth of development has dramatically increased the interest in land conservation,” Taylor said. “Almost daily we are contacted by landowners, local governments and even forward-thinking developers about ways to protect important remaining parts of our landscape.”

For more than three decades, the Connemara Conservancy has been at the forefront of land conservation and environmental education in North Texas.

Connemara Conservancy works closely with farmers, ranchers and other landowners as well as city officials and developers to improve the quality of life in North Texas.  This is done by helping protect and preserve our most important assets – land and water. Connemara currently protects more than 6,000 acres as both fee land holdings and under conservation easements with conservation-minded landowners. In addition, thousands of students, families and organizations participate in the Conservancy’s environmental education programs each year.

ALLEN (June 30, 2014) — Half of the new 32-acre High Meadow conservation subdivision in west Flower Mound will feature protected open space, thanks to an agreement between developer Mark Weatherford and the Connemara Conservancy.

Connemara will hold a conservation easement on the 16 acres, guaranteeing that the wooded and prairie conservation land will remain undeveloped in perpetuity. The easement adjoins land already protected by Connemara in the Chimney Rock Estates subdivision of Flower Mound and provides an additional layer of water quality protection for runoff that enters Corps of Engineers land and Lake Grapevine.

“This is forward-thinking, smart development at its finest,” said Connemara Conservation Director R.J. Taylor. “Not only has Mark guaranteed that High Meadow residents will have access to open space in its most natural state, he is also providing a way to help protect the quality of an important water supply.”

The 16 additional acres bring the total number of acres currently protected by the Connemara Conservancy to almost 5,400 acres throughout North Texas.

“I couldn’t ask for a better partner,” said Weatherford, who also worked with Connemara on the original planning of easements for the Chimney Rock Estates development. “I have a great comfort level with Connemara from our past experience, and it was important that we continue to use that concept of conservation-friendly residential development on the adjoining tract of nature prairie and forest lands.”

More information about the Connemara Conservancy is available at connemaraconservancy.org or by calling 469-200-4085.

 
R.J. Taylor, conservation director of the Connemara Conservancy, (left) and developer Mark Weatherford sign the agreements protecting 16 acres of open space in the new High Meadow development in Flower Mound.

About The Connemara Conservancy 

The Connemara Conservancy Foundation (CCF) was founded in 1981 as one of the state’s first land conservancies. Connemara works closely with farmers, ranchers and other landowners as well as developers and local governments to protect and conserve important tracts of open space. Today, Connemara protects over 5,000 acres throughout North Texas. 

In addition, Connemara provides educational programs on the role that open space plays in a community’s quality of life. 

Connemara is an active member of the Land Trust Alliance, the Texas Land Trust Council and the Center for Nonprofit Management. 

More information on the Connemara Conservancy Foundation is available at connemaraconservancy.org.